Secularism, unbelief in Europe must be dealt with to preserve Christian identity, Vatican authority says

Vatican City, Dec 10, 2004 / 12:00 am (CNA).- In a speech given by Cardinal Paul Poupard, President of the Pontifical Council for Culture, today in Minsk, Belarus, he said that in order for Europe to continue to be a community that thrives on veritable values, Christianity must confront secularism, indifference and unbelief among Europeans.

A summary of his speech on "Christianity and the Challenges of Secularism, Unbelief and Religious Indifference," hosted by the Orthodox Church and organised by the Saints Cyril and Methodius Theological Institute was published by the Pontifical Council for Culture this morning.

“True values have their source in God,” says the summary. “The natural law can be found at the basis of all values, which are universal but lived out in different cultures."

"In order to combat relativism, secularism and indifference, producers of grave social problems and deniers of the values of truth, of the dignity of the human person, and of the inspiration of beauty,” it continues, “due attention must be given to the meeting between the Gospel and cultures.”

“The faith is still a factor for Europe in the restoration of values through both lungs of Christianity, particularly through Christian culture," it concludes.